Chocolate Ripple Log Cabin
This festive variation on the ever-popular chocolate ripple cake would be a great addition to the "kids table" at Christmas.
Preparation time: 30 mins + Chilling time: Overnight
Serves 8
You need
1 x 250g pack Arnott's Chocolate Ripple biscuits
2 cups (500ml) thickened cream
1 tablespoon castor sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
10 - 14 thin wafer-like biscuits for the roof and door (I used Jules Destrooper's Almond Thins)
extra biscuits for roof brace (I used Arnott's Scotch Fingers)
a few berries of your choice
To make
Place the cream, sugar and vanilla essence in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric beater until stiff. Divide the biscuits into 4 lots. Spread some cream on a plate to prevent the cabin from slipping as you are building it. Spread the top of a chocolate ripple biscuit with a dollop of cream and place it on the plate. Repeat this process placing the biscuits on top of one another until you have a stack of 6 biscuits sandwiched together with cream. Form three more stacks of biscuits in the same way leaving enough space between them to allow cream to be spread thickly down the sides of the stacks. Once the sides have been spread with cream, gently move the stacks together so they are touching. Spread the top with cream, cover and place in the refrigerator to chill overnight.
Remove the cabin from the fridge and using a sharp serrated knife (such as a bread knife), trim away a thin layer of cake from each side to expose the "logs". You can use the trimmings to patch any gaps in the cabin walls. Place four biscuits flat on top of the cake overhanging the side (two on each side) pressing them into the cream so they remain in place. Then gently place 6 to 8 more wafers to form the pitched roof (as shown in photos). A final biscuit to form the roof brace sits in between the two sides of the pitched roof at the back and front of the cabin. Spread a final wafer with cream and stick it to the front of the cabin to make a door. You can make a door knob by sticking a Smartie or M&M to the door with cream. Decorate around the base with berries.
Return to the fridge until ready to serve.
To serve
Clean excess cream and crumbs from the plate. Dust the roof with icing sugar.
Just before serving, remove the roof biscuits. Slice and serve the cake with roof biscuits and berries on the side.
